Pressure on the Dakar

The Minis of Team So on Sunday evening, at the finish of the first "real" stage of this Dakar, he came to express his way of thinking in rather virulent terms to Philippe Gache, "guilty" of having placed Ronan Chabot's buggy in the immediate wake of Stéphane Peterhansel in the ranking. “He came to tell us that it was enough to free our intake flange (by regulation for 2-wheel drive. Editor’s note) so that mechanics live up to their team”, vituperated the Vauclusian. “We went from a 37 to 39 mm flange; he has 38. We gained around fifty horses in the deal, it's true, but we're not ?garages? ! This is the 22nd buggy that we produce, it costs us around 500 euros, I have a workshop, three engineers? This is all very contemptuous of him! He's going to win this Dakar, but let the race take place! »

This Tuesday morning, it was the members of the Qatar Rally team who noted the supposed influence of X-Raid on this Dakar. Above all Carlos Sainz, who found himself re-charged for the 21 minutes lost searching for a way-point in the Pisco loop, after they were initially returned to him. “ I believe that the organization is under a lot of pressure from some », Confided the Spaniard to us without wanting to say more but being explicit in his gestures. All this promises for the future…